GM Blasphemes, Offers Auto 'Vette Z06

GM’s really gone and done it this time: they’re offering the new Corvette Z06 with an…automatic gearbox. Now, before you get all up in arms about it, remember that it’s just an option, you are by no means required to have 8 gears and a torque converter. According to project chief engineer Tadge Juecther (I don’t know, either), the new auto ‘box was found to be a pleasing and eminently practical alternative to developing a Dual-Clutch transmission, and was benchmarked against just about every other performance DCT on the market; they were all found wanting. So there you have it, from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s take a look at the car itself. First off, some delicious, crunchy numbers for you: the engine is a beefy 6.2L V8, boosted to “at least” 625 horsepower by a supercharger, and making 635 lbs/ft of torque. That’s, in industry parlance, what’s known as “a lot”. Beyond that, we don’t know too much regarding figures, as performance testing will be going on all year before the car ships at the beginning of 2015. Pricing, I would guess, will be around the $80-90k mark, depending on trim level, etc.

You do, however, get a few other goodies for your money: the frame is mostly aluminum and copied almost directly from the racing ‘vette C7R, which is pretty cool. Carbon fiber trim and fitments abound, as do Brembo brakes and aero elements, including an adjustable rear wing; all of these are dependent on the trim level you elect. Opt for the top-spec Z07 package and you get all of this and more, including Michelin Pilot Cup Sport tyres, uprated carbon-ceramic disks, and additional aero bits so awesome that they haven’t even finished testing them yet. It even has a removable roof (for some reason.

I don’t know about you, but even in that Bakelite-yellow, I think it looks brutal, vicious, and awesome; sort of a Lambo Aventador mated to a Ferrari 599xx. Sinister. Purposeful. Given how well the previous performance-model ‘vettes performed, I have a feeling that this thing is going to be an absolute track monster. The previous model lapped the Nurburgring Nordschleife in 7:22.68, which is not far off stuff like the Gumpert Apollo and Viper ACR, and that car only had 505 horsepower. The new one is packing at least 120 more. In the words of the inimitable James May: “Ordered a Porsche 911? Kept the receipt, did you?”